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I don't understand why this is getting downvoted. The 'loan' the US made was extremely high risk and taxpayers got a terrible ROI for the amount given and the r
by efuquen 11y ago
I don't understand why this is getting downvoted. The 'loan' the US made was extremely high risk and taxpayers got a terrible ROI for the amount given and the risk taken:
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/05/tesla_is_worse_than_solyndra_how_the_u_s_government_bungled_its_investment.html http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/05/tesl...
Edit: I am a big fan of Tesla, SpaceX, and the feats Elon Musk has accomplished, but I don't think that means one can't be critical of him, his companies, or the way taxpayer money might have been spent to prop them up. It's undeniable that if the US govt had received some equity stake taxpayers could have more equally shared in Tesla's success, and I don't think there would have been anything unreasonable about that.
- epistasis 11y agoIt's getting downvoted because it's unnecessarily inflammatory, and ignorant of common practices with many other companies, both for companies that are well-established and for companies that bringing forth strategic emerging technologies.
- ElComradio 11y agoPlease describe how it is inflammatory. Please describe how I implied Tesla was the only company who benefits from government largess.
- mikeash 11y agoI think we as taxpayers got a great ROI on it, since new economic activity within the country translates into increased prosperity and increased tax revenue. Looking purely at interest earned on a government loan misses half the picture since the government gets to essentially double-dip on all the success stories.
- pbreit 11y agoTesla is almost single-handedly dragging the world into the electric car age so I think the loan served its purpose quite magnificently. Oh, and the government got all its money back and then some. The only mistake was allowing the buyback in lieu of equity upside.